Steam-engine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. A. TOBEY.-

STEAM ENGINE.

(No Model.)

No. 369,303. Patented Aug. 30, 1887.

Wbtmaoaw;

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. A, TOBEY.

STEAM ENGINE. No. 369,303. Patented Aug. 30, 1887.

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iJNrrED STATES PA'rhN'r @rrrcn.

HENRY A. TOBEY, or LIMA, orno.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,303, dated August 30, 1887.

Application filed December 27, 1886. Serial No. 222,740. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. TOBEY, of Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Steamltltngine, of which the following is a specificaion.

This invention relates to a form of engine wherein there is a, single cylinder in which two pistons reciprocate, both of these pistons being connected to an intermediate crank on a shaft extending within and at rightangles to the axis of this cylinder. This shaft carries directly on its outer end the fly-wheel, and it is hollow throughout a portion of its length, its here being divided by a partition into two compartments, through which the steam is fed to and exhausted from the cylinder. By this arrangement all valve-gear is dispensed with, the rotation of the shaft cutting off and admitting the steam at the proper intervals. A governor mechanism specially adapted to this engine is carried by the fly-wheel,which controls a valve regulating the quantity of steam admitted to the cylinder. By this construction a reciprocating engine is formed having a minimum of working parts, the essential working parts being the fly-wheel shaft, the two pistons, and theirconnecting-rods. At the same time, there being no reciprocating piston-rods extending through the cylinder heads, a minimum amount of packing is required to render the cylinder steam-tight.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the engine, a portion of the fly-wheel being broken away to show the construction of the governor. 2 is a central horizontal section of the engine. Fig. 3 is a vertical axial section of the steam-cylinder; and Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section,on an enlarged scale, of the main shaft, showing the regulatingvalve.

A. is the steam-cylinder, and Ba housing or casing bolted at right angles thereto, in which is journaled the shaft 0. This shaft at one end extends beyond the housing B, to which end is rigidly secured the fly-wheel D. The other end of the shaft extends within the cylinder A, and this inner end is formed with a crank-pin, a. W'ithin the cylindcr,on either side of the crank-pin a, are the two pistons E E, each of which is connected by a pivoted connecting-rod, F, to the crank-pin a. Both pistons thus move in the same direction, and their reciprocation rotates the shaft.

To distribute the strain upon the crank-pin, caused by the connecting-rods, the end of one connectingrod has a collar, Z, surrounding the crank-pin, which is straddled by forked collars c c at the end of the other connectingrod, which also surround the crankpin, so that the end of the collar 1) bears against the body of the connecting-rod between the collars c c. The first-named connecting-rod on either side of the collar bis formed with. flanges or shoulders d'd, against which the forked collars c c of the other rod hear. The strain upon the crank-pin is thus distributed throughout its entire length, whichever of the connectingrods is bearingfupon it.

The housing B is of considerable length, so as to give a sufficient bearing for the shaft 0 and also to contain the steam induction and eduction passages. As to the steam-passages and the course of the steam, the preferred course of the steam will be described, although it may be premised at this point that the course of the steam may be reversed, so that in the latter case the eXhaustpassa-ges and ports become theinduction passages and ports, and vice versa.

The live steam is preferably introduced by a pipe, G, into the central portion ofa steamcylinder between the pistons E E, so that the cylinder constitutes the steamchest. The shaft 0 is hollow through a portion of its length, and its bore is divided by a partition, 6, into two chambers, f and g, which may be termed induction and exhaust chambers, respectively. The induction-chamber f opens directly into the steam-cylinder, so that it is at all times filled with live steam.

At the end of the induction-chamber nearest the partition (2 the shaft has a port, it, communicating with the induction-chamber. This port is brought by the rotation of the shaft alternately into coincidence with steam-passages i i on opposite sides of the shaft in the housing B. These passages i are branches of the main passages H H, leading through the housing 13 and the wall of the cylinder A to the two ends of the cylinder, where they communicate with the interior of the cylinder behind the two pistons. The rotation of the shaft thus admits live steam first to one piston and then to the other. The two pistons are balanced on the sides next the crank-pin,since the live steam between the two presses equally on both. The exhaust-chamber g of the shaft has also aport, m, communicating with it, extending through the shaft close to the partition 6. This port is situated opposite to the port h, and it is brought by the rotation of the shaft alternately into coincidence with exhaust-passages a n within the housing B on opposite sides of the shaft.

passages are also branches of the main steampassages H H, and,owing to the relative position of the ports h and m, when one passage H is in communication with the live-steam port the other passage is' open to the exhaustchamber. The exhaust-chamber at its outer end has one or more apertures, o 0, which are always open to an annular cavity, I, in the housing 13, which communicates with the exhaust-pipe J. While this is the preferred 2 5 course of the steam, it might be-reversed, the live steam being admitted through the pipe J, and the exhaust-steam being discharged through the pipe G. This adaptability offers a convenient means for reversing the engine.

Both pipes G J may be led to the same fitting K, with which communicate the permanent supply and exhaust pipes L M. A fourway cock (indicated at N will then enable the live steam to be conducted to either pipe G 5 or J by simply turning the cock.

The only opportunity for the escape of the steam would be along the shaft 0; but this is prevented, first, by the length of the bearing of the shaft, and, second, by shoulders r 9 on 0 the shaft, which abut against corresponding seats formed in the housing. These seats also receive any thrust due to the pressure of the steam on the inner end of the shaft.

If after wear packing is necessary, it can be introduced between the shoulders on the shaft and the seats in the housing. Although but two pistons are shown in a double-length cylinder connected to the crank-pin of the shaft, the invention, is not restricted thereto. 0 Three cylinders, all opening into each other,

set at an angle of one hundred and twenty degrees to each other, and each containing a piston connected to the inclosedshaft, could be employed, or any desirable number, without 5 5 departing from the invention.

The remainder of the invention relates to the governor mechanism for regulating the admission of the steam to the cylinders in inverse proportion to the speed of the main shaft.

The control of the steam is had by a valve cooperating with the induction-port h to regulate the extent of the opening thereof. When the speed is normal, the port is open to its full width, and when above the normal it is 6 5 closed to an extent proportional to the excess of speed. This valve consists of a rotary cyl- H inder, I, located and fitted within the induc- These exhausttion-chamber f of the shaft. This cylinder is open at its end next the steam-cylinder, and is closed at its opposite end. It has a port, 8, in its wall, which at all times coincides more or less with the port h. A projecting lip, t, on the cylinder at the edge of the port 8 extends into the port h and limits the independent movement of the cylinder P, so that it cannot be turned to entirely separate the ports h 8. With this limitation the cylinder P can rotate within the induction chamber. This regulating-valve is secured to the inner end of the longitudinal shaft Q, which extends through an axial bore in the main shaft 0, the outer end of the valve-shaft projecting beyond the main shaft and carrying thereon a crosshead, R.

Bosses w m on opposite side of the web of the fly-wheel D constitute bearings for the governor-shafts S S. These shafts have on their inner ends heads a u, outside the inner bosses, m, to each of which is secured one end of a coiled spring, T, surrounding the boss 00 and connected at its other end either to the boss or to the fly-wheel. U U are the governor balls or weights, to each of which is rigidly secured an arm, V, which is attached to one of the governor-shafts S. Each governor-weight is also connected by an arm, X, to one end of the cross-head R, the arm being pivotally connected at both ends. The tension of the springs T T holds the governor-weights at their nearest point to the center of the flywheel, and when in this position the port 71, is open to its full width. When, however, the speed of the fly-wheel exceeds the normal, the centrifugal force, acting on the governor weights, overcomes the resistance of the springs, thus throwing the weights out, rotat-' ing the valve-shaft Q and closing the port h more or less, as the case may be.

In case the port min the chamber 9 is made by preference the permanent induction-port, the valve 1? would be located to co-operate therewith instead of with the port h.

I have found that my improvements are also adapted to be used as a water-motor and also as a pump by suitable connection with the shaft.

I claim as my invention- 1. A steam cylinder, a piston or pistons moving therein, and steam induction and eduction passages communicating with said cylin der, in combination with a rotary shaft'entering said cylinder and connected to said piston, said shaft alternately opening and closing said steam-passages, substantially as set forth.

2. A steam-cylinder and two pistons located therein, with a steam chamber or space between them, through which steam is supplied or exhausted, in combination with a rotary shaft entering said cylinder between said pistons and connected thereto, a steam-chamber formed within said shaft, communicating with the steam-chamber between the pistons, steampassages leading from opposite sides of said shaft to opposite ends of the steam-cylinder,

and a port in said shaft communicating with said steam-chamber, which by the rotation of said shaft alternately coincides with said steampassages.

3. A steam-cylinder and two pistons moving therein, with a steam chamber or spacebetween them, through which steam is supplied or exhausted, in combination with a rotary shaft entering said cylinder between said pis tons, said shaft being formed with two independent chambers within it, one of said chambers communicating with the space between the pistons and the other communicating at all times with a steam-chamber exterior to the shaft, which latter chamber is open to the exhaust or the supply, steam-passages leading from each of the opposite ends of said steamcylinder to said independent steam-chambers within the shaft, and ports in said shaft communicating with said independent steam-chambers, and which by the rotation of said shaft alternately coincide with the steam-passages on the opposite sides of said shaft, substantially as set forth.

4. A steam-cylinder, two pistons moving therein, a steam-inlet pipe entering the cylin' der between said pistons, and a rotary shaft entering said cylinder between said pistons and connected thereto, said shaft having within it a steam-induction chamber communicating at all times with said steam-cylinder, and having also an independent steam-eduction chamber open at all times to the exhaust, in combination with main steam-passages leading from opposite ends of said steam-cylinder, each passage having two branches,which terminate at the rotary shaft adjacent to the induction and eduction chambers, respectively, and ports located, respectively, on opposite sides of said shaft and communicating, respectively, with said induction and eduction chambers, substantially as set forth, whereby when the induction-port admits steam to one end of the cylinder the eduction -port exhausts steam from the other end'of the cylinder.

5. A steam-cylinder, two pistons moving therein, a rotary shaft entering said cylinder between said pistons, and a crank-pin in said shaft,in combination with connecting-rods connecting each piston to said crank-pin, one conneeting-rod having a single collar, I), on its end, which surrounds said crank-pin, and having also projecting flanges d d on each side of said collar, and the other forked collar, 0 c, surrounding said crank-pin and embracing said collar I), substantially as set forth. I

6. A hollow rotary shaft having a port therein, in combination with a hollow cylindrical valve rotatively mounted within said shaft, and having a port which co-operatcs with the port in said shaft, and a projection on said valve adjacent to its port, which extends into the shaft-port and limits the movement of the valve, substantially as set forth.

7. A hollow rotary shaft having a port therein, in combination with a valve having a limited rotary movement within said shaft, a valve-shaft connected to said valve and ex tending axially through said rotary shaft, and a governor mechanism connected to said valveshaft, substantially as set forth.

8. A rotary shaft carrying a fly-wheel, a valve-shaft axially and rotatively mounted therein, and a cross-head mounted within the fly-wheel on the outer end of said valve-shaft and perpendicular thereto, in combination with governor-weights pivotally connected to said fly-wheels, and arms connecting said governor-weighis to the outer ends of said crosshead, substantially as set forth, whereby the swinging of said governor-weights will give to said valvesliaft an independent rotary movement within the fly-wheel shaft.

IIENRY A. TOBEY.

Attest:

W. H. PoR'rnn,

HERBERT L. Baron.

connecting-rod having a 

